


No Greater Love

by twopinkcarnations



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Angst, Feelings, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 19:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12613812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twopinkcarnations/pseuds/twopinkcarnations
Summary: Michael won't let anything happen to those four dorks. Not if he had anything to say about it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from a hymn by the same name because I was raised Catholic and Lutheran, and it _is_ a show about the afterlife after all!
> 
> http://catholichymn.blogspot.com/2015/11/no-greater-love.html

Michael promised himself this would never happen again. That he’d never, _ever_ put himself at Shawn’s mercy again. Well...

“Shawn, don’t. You don’t have to do this.”

But he’s not even listening, and Michael feels his skin crawl at the idea of what the judge would do if he walked out that door into the night. The humans were all asleep. They wouldn’t even know what hit them until it was too late.

“Please!”

Shawn’s hand freezes on the door knob, and Michael’s sweat feels like ice. Slowly, Shawn turns back around. Michael stands up straighter.

“Please?”

He says it with as much scorn and disgust as he’s ever heard in just one uttered word. It’s mocking and threatening all at once. Shawn’s brows furrow.

“ _Please?_ ”Shawn repeats, as though seeking an explanation.

Michael’s hands clench and loosen as he musters his courage.

“Don’t hurt them.”

“Michael, I don’t think you realize what you’re doing.”

Michael swallows, hard.

“I won’t let you hurt them.”

Shawn makes a sound like a laugh, and it sends a chill down Michael’s spine. There weren’t many other creatures of death who could frighten or intimidate him, but Shawn was one of the few. Not that he’d ever admit it; not even under pain of retirement.

“Let me? Michael, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you obviously don’t have a handle on any of it. I will deal with the four humans first, but then you and I have some serious business to discuss.”

He turns back around, and Michael springs into action. His long legs work to his advantage, and he puts himself between Shawn and the door. Shawn could technically walk through the door itself or use his abilities to render him into a pile of jelly on the floor, but he doesn’t. Perhaps he is so shocked at Michael’s defiance that he momentarily forgets he is an all-powerful being.

“Michael, I’m not going to ask you this a second time, so listen to me very closely: Step aside.”

Pressed flush against the door, arms spread wide, Michael shakes his head.

“No, Shawn. I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but I’m not just going to let you walk out of here.”

He almost looks impressed. Shawn takes a step back.

“I see. You’ve obviously bonded with these humans. That much is quite obvious.”

“I—”

“Michael, I don’t want to hear another word out of your mouth unless it's you begging me to retire you. So you’d better listen to me if you truly care about those four bags of blood and bone.”

Michael clenches his jaw.

“Someone is going to have to pay for this. I was more than willing to come down here and take it out on them, but I can see how…ardently you oppose that idea. That leaves you, Michael. You are the one who will have to pay. Do you understand?”

Too well. He understands perfectly. His head bows.

“I do.”

Shawn nods.

“Very well, Michael. Let’s begin.”

Shawn snaps his fingers, and Michael collapses to the floor in pain so severe he can’t even find the energy to scream. It was going to be an excruciatingly long night.


	2. Chapter 2

“Jeez, man, you look exhausted! What were you doing last night? You look like death! Well…”

Michael puts up a hand.

“Thank you, Eleanor. I think I’d rather cut the chitchat and start the lesson.”

Michael limps to the couch and sits down with a hiss. Chidi frowns.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Michael?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s a supernatural being thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Well, in that case, I think you mean, I _Kant_ understand. It’s Emmanuel Kant day, everyone!” Chidi says excited.

Jason and Eleanor groan.

“I’ve already read the book for today, and I just have to share my friend’s, Tom Hanks, thoughts on it!”

Michael leans weakly back into the couch as Eleanor rolls her eyes. Chidi tries valiantly to bring order back to the group, but then Jason raises his hand to ask when they were going to have recess. And Michael finds himself smiling.

Sure, he was in deep. And sure last night would not be the last he saw of Shawn’s wrath. But he’s sure, as he watches his friends debate what Emmanuel Kant would think of recess, he knows he made the right choice.


End file.
